Safetytext

[Nediam]

I saw an article on Breakfast News this morning which mentioned a mobile phone feature called "SafetyText".

 

It enables you to set up a delayed text message which can be sent to a family member or friend in case of emergencies.

 

"SafetyText works on the principal of being able to delay exactly when a text message is received. A normal text would arrive immediately on the phone you are sending it to. A SafetyText is different. It can be sent with a delay on it of between 1 hour and 24 hours. This allows you to go somewhere or do something and get back safely before it is sent. If you cancel it no one will know, if you don’t or can’t cancel the text it is sent to the number you put in the text."

 

" The text message is delayed so that it is only sent if it needs to be. If the SafetyTexter has got home safely or to somewhere they feel safe, before the text is sent they can cancel it. The SafetyTexter will be sent a reminder 30 minutes before their message is due to be sent in case they had forgotten to cancel it."

 

It costs 50p + your network charge to send a SafetyText.

 

(Thought this might be of interest following on from the "Single Female/Male" caching threads.)

Edited November 28, 2005 by nediam

[+sTeamTraen]

Oh dear. That will just result in thousands of unnecessary calls to the emergency services when people set it up and go out of GSM coverage, so they forget the reminder and then their relatives can't get through to them.

 

How about this radical solution: "You tell people where you're going and what time you'll be back".

 

If I thought that my safety depended on the delivery of an SMS message, I probably wouldn't go. SMS is surprisingly unreliable.

 

[Edit] I just noticed that the number to which you send your life-saving text is the same one used for a lucky dip game - advertised at the top of the page - where you can win tickets to see Coldplay. Very reassuring. Maybe 999 operators could also take calls from people interested in cheaper car insurance ? I'm sure genuine emergencies would be given priority.

Edited November 28, 2005 by sTeamTraen

[+Naefearjustbeer]

SMS is not very good between networks my wife recieved 2 text messages within a short while of each other, The second one to arrive had been sent 24 hours before by the same sender, The girl called my wife to see why she hadnt replyed to the text and my wife had not recieved it yet.

[markandlynn]

Theres some usefull guidance here and here on route cards etc.

[+kewfriend]

If in doubt about your safety for any reason: weather, location, people etc - always inform another of your plans and intentions and give them a time by which you will have confirmed your safe return. Leave the other party in no doubt that you will definitely require emergency assistance if you have not confirmed your safe return.

[+klaus23]

Oh dear. That will just result in thousands of unnecessary calls to the emergency services when people set it up and go out of GSM coverage, so they forget the reminder and then their relatives can't get through to them.

I think that's a very optimistic scenario... the most common one being people going out on the town, and forgetting to cancel these texts after two halves of shandy.

[barryhunter]

It would be all too easy to put too much trust into such a service. What happens if their service looses the message (for whatever reason...), or the person the message is going to has their phone turned off or otherwise uncontactable, or even you make a typo in the destination number. There's no mention of this on their site.

 

I know its only meant as a backup to other means, but people are bound to think oh its "ok that SaftyText text thing will remember"

 

About the only good bit is

By getting the children to use SafetyText we are making them think about the responsibility of situations they get into, and also to consider in advance the consequences.

, but not really the best way to go about it.

 

A far better solution is to contact the person immidiatly and get their confirmation, they can then setup a reminder (or even a saftytext as a reminder ;-)), also you could convay far more info in that than a small text message....

 

(my 2p worth anyway)

Edited November 29, 2005 by barryhunter